2023 Vocal Writing Awards

Over the last few years, Vocal has hosted nearly 200 writing Challenges and given back over $2M to creators. The stories you've submitted have not only astounded us with their creativity and depth, but the transformative impact these Challenges have had on your lives has left us deeply touched. Your feedback has shown us that Challenges on Vocal are more than just competitions; they are catalysts for growth, creativity, and change.

This initiative represents a significant next chapter in our journey, building on the success of our Summer Fiction Series and Vocal Fiction Awards, which drew in an impressive 20,000 submissions.

The Vocal Writing Awards is our ambitious step to reach more writers, amplify more voices, and celebrate the creativity that thrives within our community. It's about rewarding originality and excellence in writing, and welcoming new creators to our platform.

Categories & Prompts

The Vocal Writing Awards feature eight categories, including:

Flash Fiction: Tell a complete fiction story about any topic in just 250 words or less.

Science Fiction: Submit your stories that explore futuristic landscapes, alternate realities, or extraordinary realms.

Fantasy Fiction: Step into the realm of Fantasy, where magic reigns and mythical creatures roam.

Horror Fiction: Craft spine-chilling tales that evoke fear, suspense, and the supernatural.

Young Adult Fiction: From coming-of-age tales to fantastical adventures, submit your stories that resonate with the experiences and themes of young adulthood.

Romance Fiction: Weave stories that capture the essence of love, passion, and deep connections.

Free Verse Poetry: Transform your thoughts and emotions into compelling verses.

Haiku Poetry: Craft a haiku that captures the essence of a moment.

Growing Prize Pool

What sets the Vocal Writing Awards apart is our innovative approach to the prize structure: with each new entry, the prize pool grows. This unique concept ensures that the potential rewards grow in tandem with the participation, making the contest more exciting and rewarding for everyone involved.

We’re also introducing a reward system where you can receive $5 for every writer you nominate who enters; more on that below.

Each entry costs $20, and here's a break down of how we distribute the entry fee:

$7 goes directly into the prize pool.

$5 goes to the people who nominate new participants.

$8 goes to Vocal for hosting, managing, and for our staff to read all the entries.

Vocal is providing a $1,750 base per category to the prize pool, and every entry grows the prize.

The winners in each category will receive at least the base minimum of:

🥇 1st Place: $1,000 prize + 20% of entry fees per category

🥈 2nd Place: $500 prize + 10% of entry fees per category

🥉 3rd Place: $250 prize + 5% of entry fees per category

Vocal+ members are entitled to 50% off one entry per category, and discount codes for these entries will be emailed to you in the coming days. If you're not a Vocal+ member yet and interested in upgrading, you can do so here: https://vocal.media/vocal-plus

Nominate a writer & get $5

We're on a mission to introduce the power of Vocal to more creators, and you can help us make that happen. By spreading the word about the Vocal Writing Awards and nominating writers to participate, you can play a significant role in expanding our community and growing the prize pool. As a token of our appreciation, we'll email you a $5 Visa gift card for every writer you nominate who enters the contest.

You can nominate friends, family, or your favorite authors from platforms like Vocal, Medium, Wattpad, Substack, or anywhere. Each nomination not only increases the prize pool, but also brings us closer to discovering more diverse and vibrant voices.

You don't need to be a participant in the Vocal Writing Awards to nominate a writer and earn your $5 reward. Simply sign up, share your unique link through various channels like Facebook, Twitter, text messages, emails, and more, and start earning as your nominated writers enter.

Timeline & Judging

Our team of expert judges, led by former Times literary editor Erica Wagner, will curate a shortlist for each category. From there, we'll be passing the reins to the participants and Vocal community to choose the winners through community voting. This unique approach ensures that the winners truly resonate with our community of readers and writers.

Submissions open: 7/13/23

Submissions close: 9/30/23

Judges announce shortlists: 10/15/23

Community judging begins: 10/15/23

Community judging ends: 11/16/23

Winners announced: 11/17/23

How to Enter the Vocal Writing Awards

Please note the submission process is different from entering a Vocal Challenge. Here’s how to enter:

1. Join Vocal: If you don't already have an account, sign up for free. If you already have an account, you're good to go.
2. Publish Your Story: Craft your story following the Vocal Awards category prompt of your choice, and publish it on Vocal.
3. Submit to Awards Category: After publishing your story on Vocal, navigate to the Vocal Writing Awards, select the category, and submit your published story's URL along with the entry fee.
4. Spread the Word: Promote and encourage your friends and family to join the Vocal Awards to increase the prize pool.

Official Rules for the Vocal Writing Awards can be found here.

To be eligible to win the grand prize, second place, or runners-up prizes, you must be over the age of 13 and residing in a country where Stripe is available at the time of entry. A complete list of countries where Stripe is available can be found here—winners will need to have a Stripe account created and connected in order to receive the prizes. For this reason, entrants located outside of any of these countries will not be eligible to win.